Art of manufacturing sheet-metal cans.



E. NORTON.

ART OF MANUFACTURING SHEET METAL cums.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1908.

933, 1 O4, Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. I

suuentoz drmmw E. NORTON.

ART OF MANUFACTURING SHEET METAL CANS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1908.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. j

EDWIN NORTON, OF LAKE PLACID, YORK.

. ART OF MANUFACTURING SHEET-METAL CANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

Application filed May 29, 1908. Serial No. 435,648.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN NORTON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Lake Placid, in the county of Essex and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Manufacturing Sheet-Metal Cans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates'tothe art of manufacturing sheet-metal cans, and has particular reference to the simultaneous manufacture of a plurality of cans from a single body, such as that shown and described in a companion application for patent. In mysaid companion application I have shown and described an improved article of manupletely closed and in an air-tight condition so as to exclude from the interior all foreign or objectionable matter. When the packer desires to utilize the cans the cylindric body will be severed or out at the intermediate flange formation so that the single can with both ends closed, will produce two cans each having an endclosed by a head, and an end open with an outward-turned flange at the open end, to which flange another head may.

be readily attached after the can hasbeen filled.

The inventive idea here involved may find expression in various mechanical forms, and I have shown-one of suchforms in the accompanyin drawings; but it is tobe distinctl un erstood that said drawings are inten ed for the purpose of illustration only and not as defining the limits or scope of the invention.

In the drawings,-Figure 1, is a perspec-- tive view of a sheet-metal cylinder lon enough for two can-bodies of the standar size, and illustrates the first step in the method of manufacture of the cans. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the cylinder, and shows the second step in the method 'of manufacture of the cans. Fig. 3, is a side view of the bicylinder can,the two ends having the heads attached which completely closes the cylinder. Fig. 4, is a sectional view of a can-head. Fig. 5, is also a side view of the closed bicylinder can and shows the third step of the method,to-wit, the closing or bumping of the intermediate cir-v cumferential flange. Fig. 6, also shows a side view of the closed bicylinder can mounted so as to be revolved and shows the final step in the method. Fig. 7 shows a vertical sectional view through the can body,the section being taken on the line 7-7 of Fig.

while held and undergoing the final operation,this section being taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6, and Fi 9, shows in perspective the two cans pro need by the final operation of severing the cylindric body.

In order to manufacture cans that are to ready for filling, a blank must first be cut from the sheet of metal of a length equal to the combined length of the bodies to be simultaneously produced from the single body. The blank of the required length having been produced is' then rolled or folded side seam is secured. This seam may be of any desired construction either'lap or lock, but in the resent instance the cylinder is provided wlth a lap seam, b, which maybe suitable manner.

The formation of a cylinder long enough for a plurality of bodies, and the closing of the side seam constitutes the first step in the method. The next two steps in the method may be readily alternated for the reason eral outward end-flanges and also with exteriorly-projecting circumferential flange formations between the two end flanges, and it is immaterial to the final result which of these is produced by the second step, or Whether they be produced simultaneously. For the purposes of the present case howoylinder formed by the first step is then subjected to such Well-knownoperations as will produce the lateral and outwardly-projecting end-flange, e, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The preparatory flange formation, 0, located intermediate the two ends may then be produced by clamping the cylindric body, A, in a separable or two-part ring, 1, having an interior circumferential groove, 2; and by using a suitable rotary beading tool, 3, on a crank-arm, 4, and bringing the cylindrio body made tight by fusing or soldering in any 7 that the'cylinder is to be providedwith lat- Fig. 8, is a similar view of the can body 7 be of a certain size when complete and into a cylinder, A, and the longitudinal or ever, it is deemed suflicient to state that the and said tool together, so the latter will have position on the interior of the cylinder as seen in Fig. 2," and then by revolving the cylinder, A, an interior V -shaped groove is formed clrcumferentially around the wall of the cylindric, body, which produces on the exterior of the said body an expansion or an outwardly-projecting flange or bead, c. For thejprimary', formation of this circumferential, intermediate flange, the V-shape shown at, c, in Fig. 2, is deemed preferable because of constructive reasons,tools that will produce this shape may be readily applied to the cylinder and operated. After the pre paratory flange formation has been produced in the cylindrical body the opposite ends thereof should be closed by applying heads or ends, 9, thereto. These heads are attached to the ends of the body preferably by a double-seam joint,the flange of the head and the=flange,.e, on the body being folded or rolled together in the usual man ner. When the ends of the body have been closed the body will have the form of a long can, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the intermedlate preparatory flange, 0, will have the form shown in the same figure and the completely-closed can-bodies in this condition may be sold as articles of commerce. In some instances however, it may be deemed advantageous to compress-the two walls of the V-shaped bead, a, and bring said V-Walls close together, so as to form the double-wall circumferential flange, d. This serves to increase the stiffness of the walls of the body at the center, and at the same time completes the preparatory formation of the said intermediate flange; The particular'form of devices for effecting this closing operation of the V-walls is immaterial, but for the purpose of illustration, one form of device is shown in Fig. 5 in which the cylindric body,

A, with both ends closed is placed in aseparable holder comprising the two center rings, 6, the end plates, 7 and rods, 8, connecting the end-plates andrin s. Cams, 9, or other devices adjacent the said end-plates serve to force said plates and rings toward each other, and by this lateral pressure either at the ends of the body or at opposite sides of I the intermediate flange, 0, cause said flangewalls, to close together as seen in Fig. 5.

It will thus be understood that the empty bicylinder cans, closed at both ends, and having the intermediate flange in the form shown at either, 0', or, 03, may be stored indefinitely without liability of crushing or damage to the walls such as occurs to the empty open-top cans; and moreover as there are no openings or cracks of any kind in. the

can-body, dirt and dust cannot settle therein and the interior of the cans will remain clean and readyfor use upon separating the cylindricbody into two parts at said intermediate flanges. v

To effect a separation or a severance of the can-body at the intermediate flange I mount the body between two heads, 10, which may be rotated in any suitable manner, and while thus revolving the body the metal or rimedge that connects the two Walls of the intermediate flange, (Z, is cut and thus the body is severed and separated into two parts. The grinder or cutter, 11, for splitting the intermediate flange or bead, d, may be mounted on a shaft, 12, which may be revolved in a direction reverse to that in which the can-body, A, turns. By reference to Fig. 9 it will be seen that upon severing the body at said previously-formed flanges, d, the two complete can-bodies of the desired size will be simultaneously produced. Each body being complete and having an open end with a complete flange, 13, around the latter and the opposite end closed by the head, g.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. The'method of manufacturing a plurality of can-bodies, consisting in firstforming a single body of a length equal to the combined length of all the bodies to be produced from the single body, then producing one or more exteriorly-projecting preparatory flange formations around the body intermediate the two ends thereof, and finallysplitting the said preparatory flange formations.

3. The method of manufacturing a plurality ofcan-bodies consisting in first forming ac lindric body of a length e ual to the com ined length of two bodies to e produced from the single body; producing" a preparatory flange formation around the body intermediate the ends thereof applying heads to the two ends of the single body; applying endwise pressure to the body to com act the. said flange formation, and fina ly. severin the body into two parts by splitting said ange formation.

4. The method or improvement in the art of manufacturing sheet-metal cans, consisting in first forming a cylindric body; producing in the wall of said body an outward- 2. The method of manufacturing a pluv projecting circumferential bead midway besaid body and finally circum erentially splitting the sai'd outward bead.

si e thereof toproduce an exterior double wall flange intermediate its ends; permanently closing the two opposite ends of the grooved body; pressing the closed ends of the body toward the said intermediate cir cumferential groove and causing the double walls thereof to contact, and finaily severing the cylindric body at the double wall flange so as to form two cans each having a flanged open end.

in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN NORTON. Witnesses:

FREDK. V. HAAS, A. ASSMANN.

- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 1 

